Forever and Always
by ShigureAyameHatoriFanClub
Summary: A tragedy occurs in a small southern town… and the Jones family move away to a place called Forks. Why would they be affected by this tragedy? Why would they move to a town with such an atrocious name? And why do freak storms occur when one of the children loses their temper? Well, it's all in the name of family.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! Welcome to my first fanfic in a while, and I do hope you enjoy reading it. However, there are a few notes first.**

 **Firstly, the events of Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn occurred during Bella's sophomore/junior years in this book… not during her junior/senior years. This is because it's easier to write and I just like it that way.**

 **Secondly, I do appreciate constructive criticism, but if you just want to leave a hate review… please refrain. If you don't like reading what I write, then don't read it. I am writing this fanfic simply for my own enjoyment.**

 **Thirdly, I apologise if the characters that I don't own seem to be a bit out of character… this is my first Twilight fanfic.**

 **Fourthly, this will probably develop into a romance fanfic, but I will keep it neutral so that all readers are comfortable with the material.**

 **And last, but not least, I don't own Twilight… I just own this fanfic and my own characters.**

 **Enjoy!**

 ** _Chapter One_**

 _I know I could lie but I'm telling the truth_

 _Wherever I go there's a shadow of you_

 _I know I could try looking for something new_

 _But wherever I go, I'll be looking for you_

Adrianna Volturi has been avoiding her brother ever since she lost her abilities as a witch and became a vampire. She discovered she could have mortal children when with her second husband Mikael (her first husband was Francis), but their child died. Centuries later, she met her third husband, David. He didn't want any children, so she respected his decision. Another few centuries later, she met her fourth husband, Elijah. He was a family man, and wanted children, thus came along my siblings and I. All three of us possessed the witch abilities that Adrianna had lost when she became a vampire.

In the past year or so, we have heard rumours of the Olympic Coven who harboured a human and then lead the Volturi to believe that they had created an immortal child. The Olympic Coven prepared themselves to fight against the Volturi, however the Volturi backed down. A month ago, the Romanian Coven discovered of our existence. It wouldn't have been bad if they were normal vampires who didn't hold a grudge against the Volturi – thus the reason they were allies to the Olympic Coven. I can still clearly remember that terrible day.

We were two weeks into the new year of high school. I was a senior, while most of my friends were sophomores – with the exception of Mary, who was a junior. Lunch had been dragging on as usual, Catherine took selfies on Mia's phone, Mary scrolled through Facebook on her phone, and Mia and Lily were debating who was hotter; Draco Malfoy or Percy Weasley. I had to admit, Percy wasn't bad looking, but Draco would always win. However, instead of involving myself in the obviously endless debate – Lily was obsessed with Percy – I was drawing bad sketches in my notebook. We had been quiet the bunch of loners, but we loved the presence of each other.

My phone had buzzed in my pocket, and I had frowned. Who the heck would want to text me? The text had read: 'Bring your family to the storage warehouse, Volturi scum'. I had fought to keep my face neutral, hastily putting away my phone as I grabbed Catherine's arm.

"Mind if I have a word?"

Catherine had nodded, her face falling serious as she had noticed the look in my eyes. Mia, Lily, and Mary had risen their eyebrows, curious, but didn't follow. Catherine had been the only one who knew that my mother was a vampire, and I, a witch. We had stood facing each other outside the cafeteria.

"Everything alright?"

I had nodded, trying to put a smile onto my face. "It should be."

Catherine sighed at that point, "You're not fooling me, Evie. What's up?"

I shook my head, "Everything should be fine, but take care of the others ok?"

Obviously, Catherine hadn't' been happy with that answer, but I had thought her better off not knowing. I had almost wanted to take her with me, but instead just called out as she walked away.

"I'll be back as soon as possible!"

In some ways, I wish I had taken her with me, but leaving her behind had kept her safe. I had walked with my head down, in a glum mood. Mom was waiting in the car, and my brother had hopped out, opening the door for me. Not only had my day been ruined by potentially dying, but I had had to sit in the middle seat of the car; squished between my older siblings – Alex, my brother, and Miranda, my sister.

We had driven in silence. There had been nothing to be said. Elijah – my father – was mixing up some special potion that Miranda had probably made, and dipping the tips of daggers into it. Elijah was the only normal human in our family, so the daggers were his best defence.

I had wondered whether it would be our last time, after all, the Romanian Coven were even older than the Volturi and my mom. But I knew that whatever would happen, my family would protect me first. I was the youngest, and I had hated that they would disregard their own safety for me, but there was nothing I could do.

I sighed as the car stopped, quickly rushing out to grab my staff. I didn't usually need it, but it was useful for more powerful spells.

Mom lead the way to the warehouse, Elijah walked in front of me, while Alex and Miranda walked behind me. The stench of death had almost made me gag, and a shiver worked its way through my spine as I saw the bodies on the ground.

We had stopped, observing the two vampires in front of us. My eyes had darted around the room, trying to identify the bodies. Even now, I wished I hadn't. First I saw Catherine's mother, then her sister, then Mary's father, and Lily's brother. Everybody I could identify as either being part of Catherine's family, Mary's family, or Lily's family. Mia didn't have a family, so she had lived with Lily and her family. Nobody had spoken yet; it was simply a staring contest. I had been angry, and wished I could kill the vampires, but I didn't, because it would've gotten my own family killed. I wish I wasn't so smart, that I had disregarded my family's safety, I wish I had chosen to get revenge, but I didn't, I had stayed silent.

The blonde – Stefan – spoke first. "The elusive Adrianna Volturi and her bastard family."

Miranda and Alex bristled beside me, pride being a huge part of their personality.

Mum smiled and stepped forwards. "I wouldn't say we're elusive, but we're certainly less extravagant than that of my older brother."

The other Romanian, with darker, shorter hair, laughed. "I'm sure Aro would be delighted to hear of your deaths."

He – Vladimir – had been implying that Aro would be upset if we died. I had almost laughed along with the rest of my family, but choked on a sob. The Romanian's were confused, so mom explained.

"Aro does not care for me or my family. He only cares for the gifted vampires. In fact, he would be delighted to have me dead. So if you wish to kill us, you're more than welcome to."

They seemed shocked by that, and I would've been too, if those words were new to me. Vladimir and Stefan grimaced and bowed their heads.

Stefan gestured to the bodies, "Apologies for the mess, we'll be sure to let Aro know that you're enjoying the sights of Australia."

I scowled at their blatant disregard for my friend's family's. Surely it hadn't just been coincidence, even if I had believed in coincidence. They sped past us and I had done nothing to get revenge for my friends. Mom had glanced back at me knowingly, with a pitying smile on her face.

"We'll deal with this, Evelyn. Go home. Or go to your friends."

I nodded silently and stalked out. By dealing with it, my family had hidden the fact that they were killed by vampires. It hurt, knowing that no amount of magic could bring someone back to life. In my rage, I had summoned a thunderstorm.

All four of my friends had been devastated, and Catherine guessed immediately that vampires had caused it. It took a week to convince my family to adopt my friends and tell them the truth. Mary and Lily had been angry, mainly at me, while Catherine and Mia forgave me. It hurt more to be forgiven, than to be the target of someone's rage. Another week passed, and we were all set to move somewhere new; just in case Aro came looking. Where to? Forks, Washington. I thought it was stupid, to be somewhere so populated by the supernatural, but mom knew Aro better, so it was her choice.

 _Some people try but they can't find the magic_

 _Others get down on their knees and they pray_

 _I come alive when I'm close to the madness_

 _Wherever I Go – One Republic_


	2. Chapter 2

**_Chapter Two_**

 _You're so hypnotizing_

 _Could you be the devil?_

 _Could you be an angel?_

It wasn't a bad house, I mused, in fact it looks almost cute. Sure, it only had four bedrooms for a group of nine, but I like to think that it won't be a problem. Miranda was scowling heavily besides me, unhappy that while Alex got his own room, she would have to share with Mary and Lily.

I leant over and whispered, "If it's any consolation, we'll be at school most of the time."

Miranda just scowled and stomped towards the house. She was already 22, while Alex was 18 and had finished school last year. I glanced back at Catherin, my arms occupied by my three suitcases.

"C'mon, let's get rid of these before the moving truck gets her and mom yells at us for not helping."

"I wouldn't yell at you, Evelyn!" Mom yelled from somewhere in the house.

We chuckled and walked into the house, Mia, Mary, and Lily trailing behind. Elijah popped his head out into the hallway.

"Evie, Maranda has taken the other bedroom downstairs, so you'll be upstairs."

I grimaced at the thought of having to carry everything up the stairs, but gave Elijah a thankful smile. With a determined huff, I began my journey up the stairs. Alex was scowling at me from the top of the stairs, but I pushed past him. My new room wasn't that bad. There were two windows facing the back of the house, and there was a three door wardrobe. Between the two windows was just the right amount of space for the TV that I had begged mom to buy.

A smile grew on my face, the room wasn't too small, and it wasn't too big to made my siblings annoyed. A honk from outside the house made me jump, and I dashed to the wardrobe to place my suitcases out of the way. The next hour was spent going up and down the stairs, carrying furniture and heavy boxes. There was still half the truck left when mom told us that she would be fine on her own. That left Catherine, Mia, and I to figure out how to put together my bed, and their bunk bed.

"Ok, so the instructions say that this should go there."

I sighed inwardly, this could take a while.

"First off, Mia, those instructions are for my bed, and you're reading them upside down."

Her mouth formed an 'O' shape as she blushed.

I turned to Catherine, "Mind going downstairs and finding a drill and a hammer?"

She nodded with a smirk.

Another hour later and we had all the furniture in place. My bed was pushed up against one wall, feet in the corner between the window and the wall, my headboard was parallel to the door. The bunk bed was pressed up against the other wall, but we left a small gap so we could still access the window. The TV cabinet and TV was placed between the two windows and an old sofa was a little way away.

A chest of drawers was pressed against the headboard of my bed, with the door just scraping past when being opened. A backed bookcase was pressed against the back of the sofa, leaving just enough room for us to access the wardrobe behind it. My little bedside table fit snugly between my bed and the TV cabinet. My laptop was atop the bedside table, as was a box of tissues – never know when you're going to need one.

As long as the room stayed neat, there would be space to move.

Catherine and Mia smiled at me, having just finished bringing in the last of our boxes of stuff. Mia, somehow, still looked energetic.

"Shall we start unpacking these then?"

I glanced at Catherine, then nodded.

"Yeah – "

"Dinner!" Mom yelled, interrupting me.

I rolled my eyes, "Never mind. Let's go eat shall we?"

Mia grinned and raced down the stairs, almost knocking over Alex on her way past. I slung an arm around Catherine's shoulder, making my way down the stairs.

"You okay?"

Catherine glanced at me, a tired, sad smile on her face. "As much as I'll ever be."

I nodded, it was better than a no.

Dinner was nice, we sat outside eating potato and leek soup with bread. Mum had also prepared a dessert of apple crumble. It was really nice to have a warm meal while sitting in the cool air of Forks. Before we were sent back upstairs, Elijah was quick to remind up about tomorrow.

"Remember that you have school tomorrow. Make sure to get to bed on time."

Because we didn't want to have to unpack afterschool tomorrow, we went straight upstairs while everyone else stayed outside, enjoying the rare sunshine.

"I want to do the books and DVD's!"

I had a habit of organising my books and DVD's by name/author, and I wanted to make sure it stayed the same. Catherine and Mia just chuckled, leaving me to my antics.

We owned the Harry Potter books and movies, The Lord of the Rings books and movies, The Hobbit, the Vampire Academy books and movie, The Vampire Diaries DVD's, the Teen Wolf DVD's, the Doctor Who DVD's, the Game of Thrones books and DVD's, the Percy Jackson books, The Hunger Games and Divergent, The Maze Runner… basically all of the books and movies alike to them.

It didn't take me long, and I was soon scurrying around, trying to make my bed, unpack at least half my clothes, organise tomorrow's outfit, and shower before 10pm. My hair was still damp as the last of the boxes got put away, but it was already 9:30pm, and I wanted to get a decent sleep before school. Mia still had energy while Catherine was lazing on the sofa.

"Should we go downstairs to help set up the living room?"

I shook my head a Mia, rubbing my eyes tiredly. "No, if mom hasn't already done it, she'll do it overnight."

Mia's eyes widened and her mouth formed an 'O' shape, before snapping her mouth shut and nodding. Catherine watched us carefully, before shrugging and dragging herself off the sofa.

"Goodnight mom! Goodnight dad!" I yelled, before launching myself at me bed.

"Goodnight Adrianna! Goodnight Elijah!" Mia and Catherine yelled, before settling down themselves.

We were silent for about five minutes before Mia whispered. "I wish I had brought my nightlight."

There was the sound of Catherine slapping her face before I summoned a small ball of fire in my hand with a muttered "vocare ignis".

"Is that better?"

She nodded. "I've never seen you do actual magic."

The smile had barely grown on my face before mom yelled from downstairs. "Stop playing with fire, Evelyn!"

I sighed, obeying.

"If it makes you feel better Mia, you are sleeping in the same room as a witch."

 _Your touch magnetizing_

 _Feels like I am floating_

 _Leaves my body glowing_

 _E.T – Katy Perry_


	3. Chapter 3

**_Chapter Three_**

 _And if we want it, we take it_

 _If we need money, we make it_

 _Nobody knows if we fake it_

 _You like to watch while we shake it_

My honey blonde hair was tied back in two braids behind my head. It looked very neat, almost as good as what mom could've done, and, considering I had only just mastered the art of braiding, I was proud. My stormy blue eyes stared back at me as I criticized my outfit.

I was wearing a red and navy polo, covered by a black polar-fleece vest. Then I had my black ¾ length leggings with my purple sneakers. I thought it looked neat, but I also thought it looked like I was going out for a run – which I was going to do afterschool. Also, what if I got too cold? I didn't know Forks weather very well… still, I think it should do.

Catherine appeared behind me in the mirror, "Hurry up, Evie."

I smirked, "I've only been here for ten minutes."

Catherine rolled her eyes, "Yeah, but Mia took half an hour, meaning I've only got ten minutes and you know how long I take."

I snickered as I backed out of the bathroom, "I'll get you your breakfast and lunch money."

"Thanks, Evie, you're the best."

"Forever and always, Cat, don't forget it."

Catherine just laughed.

I snatched my bag from the bedroom – which I had prepared earlier while Mia had been in the bathroom – and headed down the stairs.

Mom was scooping some yoghurt and muesli into a plastic box for Catherine, and smiled when I approached, silently sliding over a bowl of yoghurt and muesli.

"Thanks, mom." I said, through a mouthful of muesli.

Mom tsked, "Don't talk with your mouth full, or I might not give you your lunch money."

She turned back around with the money in her hands, letting me snatch mine away while she put Catherine's atop the plastic box.

A few minutes passed and I was rinsing my bowl as Catherine came clumping down the stairs.

"You do know that my dad is still asleep?"

She rose a brow, "You want me to make you late."

I grinned, hurrying out to the car. "Fair point."

"Forever and always, Evie, don't forget it."

I snickered as I clambered into the backseat, Mary having been given permission to drive mom's car.

"Is that going to become our thing, Cat?"

A smile grew on her lips, "Probably."

Mia turned around in the passenger seat, "Is what going to become a thing?"

Catherine and I shook our head, replying in sync, "Don't worry."

Lily giggled beside us, Mia pouted, while Mary just sighed turning off the highway and entering the school grounds. If we hadn't already known the location of the school, I would've been worried that we were in the wrong place. It was a cluster of buildings, each only identifiable by the words painted onto them.

We stopped in the lot outside of the building labelled 'front office'. No one moved until Mary spoke up, "We should probably get our schedules first."

She made the first move, and I quickly followed, wanting to have a word with her.

"Mary!" She slowed down. "How are you dealing with everything? I know we haven't really had the chance to talk lately…"

I drifted off as she held up a hand for me to stop. She was frowning as if uncertain for what to do. Suddenly, she was using a snappy tone, "Why would you even care?"

That hurt, but from Mary, I can't say it was unexpected.

"Right…" I nodded along with my response, then hurried up my steps towards the building.

"Evie, wait! I'm sorry," Mary caught up with my footsteps as we entered the brightly lit office.

She quietened her voice, "I… I think I'm ok. I just wish I had someone to blame. It's not really your fault even. But yeah, I'm ok."

She stuffed her hands into her pockets, shoulders slumped. It was one of those few times when she was showing something other than anger.

I slung an arm around her shoulder, trying to comfort her.

Lily stepped towards the lady behind the counter, whose nametag read 'Mrs. Cope'.

"Hi, we're the Jones's family. Would we be able to get our schedules please?" Ah, Lily, the ever polite girl. But on the inside she was already impatient and swearing at Mrs. Cope.

Mrs. Cope smiled at us all, "Certainly."

She looked at Mia, "Are you Evelyn Jones?"

Mia shook her head and shuffled closer to Catherine, she really wasn't a people person. I cleared my throat and quietly stepped forwards, "Actually, I am."

Mrs. Cope seemed surprised at my young face being a senior, but if she had read her paperwork correctly, she would've known already.

Quickly, she snapped out of her shock and started explaining my schedule. It turns out that because I and been in the advanced program at my old school, and had already completed senior level legal studies, I had a free study period each day. I tried to hide my smile as my friends grumbled under their breath, but it obviously wasn't working. While Mrs. Cope explained the schedules to everyone else, I was free to observe the office.

The floor was a weird shade of orange carpet, while the wallpaper was barely visible under all the notices and awards. There were numerous pot plants scattered among the room, emphasizing the fact that Forks was literally a green town. The room was divided in half by the counter. The counter had three desks behind it, but only one was occupied by Mrs. Cope.

They finished talking and I followed them out the room, with Mrs. Cope calling out behind us, "Don't forget to return those slips!"

Mia's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as I shut the door behind us.

"What slips?"

All of us, but Mia, burst into laughter. Only Mia would truly not notice something that Mrs. Cope had prattled on about for about half of our time.

Mary started the car and drove to the student lot, remarking "That woman could talk the backside off a hyena."

I frowned slightly as she cut the ignition, immediately trying to put Mrs. Cope in a nice light. "She wasn't that bad, she was just trying to be nice."

Lily snickered, "For once, I'm with Mary. That lady would just not shut up."

Mia and Catherine nodded in agreement, so I crossed my arms and sat with a pout on my face.

Catherine glanced at me from outside, "You gonna move or what? I thought you didn't want to be late?"

I grinned and jumped out of the car, almost knocking Catherine to the ground in the process. My grin grew even wider as she held my bag out for me.

Turning to my friends, and ignoring the stares of the other students, I stated lightly, "Forks High School just became a very magical place!"

Catherine laughed along with Mary and Lily, while Mia just frowned in confusion. "I don't get it…"

Catherine and I locked glances, then turned to Mia.

"Forever and always, Mia, trust me."

 _Me and my girls, me and my girls_

 _You can look, but don't touch_

 _I'm not here to hook up_

 _I'm just here to turn up_

 _Me and My Girls – Selena Gomez_


	4. Chapter 4

**_Chapter Four_**

 _Just go ahead and hate on me and run your mouth_

 _So everyone can hear_

 _Hit me with the worst you got and knock me down_

 _Baby, I don't care_

To say I was nervous would be an understatement, I was petrified. I was a fourteen-year-old – almost fifteen – senior, and I was alone. I wasn't late for class… but I was still alone. Mia, Lily, and Catherine had rushed to the gym, saying how they had to find kit before class started. Mary had shuffled away, muttering something about not wanting to be late for art. That left me, debating whether I wanted to try and quietly slip into the classroom unnoticed, or whether I was going to just introduce myself to the teacher. If I was being honest, plan A probably wouldn't work, and would leave me embarrassed. That left me with plan B.

Deep breath, shoulders back, head held high.

I walked into the classroom and ignored the other students as I approached my math teacher.

"Excuse me?"

His head snapped up and he smiled slightly, "Are you lost dear?"

It took every ounce of concentration in my body not to let my jaw drop. He thought I was a freshman… ugh.

I shook my head slightly, plastering a small smile on my face. "No, I'm Evelyn Jones."

He seemed confused, so I continued. "Your new student?"

He nodded and muttered to himself, glancing down at his sheet of paper before pointing at the back of the room. "You can have a seat next to Alice Cullen."

I nodded, not bothering to speak, otherwise I would risk embarrassing myself.

Alice Cullen was sitting at the very back of the room, talking to a bronze haired boy and a brown haired girl. All three of them were as pale as my mother, and their eyes were a bright golden color. My witch instincts immediately warned me of the same danger that I felt when around my mother. They were obviously vampires, probably belonging to the Olympic Coven.

I could feel the eyes of the male staring at me, but I ignored him in favor for Alice.

"Mind if I sit here?"

She nodded, a genuine, excited smile on her face.

As I was placing my stuff down, the other female vampire spoke, "Where are you from?"

Her voice seemed monotonous, but just as inviting as any other vampire. Still, she seemed nice.

I shrugged, "Anywhere and everywhere."

It was true. As children, we never stopped moving, otherwise we would probably be dead by now.

She nodded, unsure of what else to say. There wasn't much to be said, and the awkward silence that would've followed was prevented by the shrill ringing of the bell; class was starting.

So… I expected this class to be boring, I mean, what else could math be? I also, however, expected to be learning something. Instead, I was almost asleep. The teacher said he was reviewing junior year work, but I had learnt all of this in sophomore year. However, as I looked around the class, I was surprised to see a whole lot of confused faces. Maybe they were confused that math was so easy, but somehow, I highly doubted it.

There were only two people who looked as bored as I was; Alice Cullen, and the male vampire. The other female vampire looked slightly less confused than the rest of the class, but still confused nonetheless. She was probably a newborn. That, of course, left me wondering how she was so comfortable in this classroom of twenty-something students. Maybe it was her gift.

The shrill bell that signaled the end of class knocked me out of my thoughts. I barely picked up on the teacher telling us to do chapters 3A, 3B, and 3C for homework before Alice introduced herself to me.

"Hi, I'm Alice."

I smiled, offering a hand for her to shake. "Evelyn."

We walked out of the classroom, and she talked against. "What have you got now?"

I looked at my schedule, "English. You?"

She was already smiling, 'I've got English too. I'll show you the way."

Ok, maybe she was slightly too energetic for a I-just-met-you sort of person, but she was nicer than anyone else would've been.

English dragged on, just as math had, with no new material and most of my classmates already confused. But it was good too. Confused classmates meant they were less likely to stare at the new student; me. Alice drew fashion designs in her notebook, frowning whenever she saw a mistake. We parted ways after English, she had art, while I had literature.

The other two Cullens were in this class with me. Edward and Bella were their names, and they were seriously dating. Literature wasn't that bad, there was a book that I hadn't studied yet, but the techniques were all the same. Edward and Bella kept glancing at me, and although I got along with Alice, these two were starting to creep me out.

When the bell rang, I sprung out of my seat and hurried to the library. I had a study lesson before lunch, and I wanted to use that time to study the spell that mom wanted me to learn. Recently, she had been getting me to learn offensive and defensive spells. I only had basic knowledge in healing and convenience spells, but my battle spells were becoming quite advanced. I shook my head, trying to understand the theory of the spell. Mom was obviously doing this for a purpose, what it was, I didn't know.

I mentally groaned, I couldn't focus in here, it was a library for gosh sakes!

Packing up my books and putting them back in my bag, I made my way to the cafeteria. There was a table up the back that was a bit away from the other tables; I took it.

My lunch consisted of a chicken Caesar salad, and a chocolate milk. I was just settling down to eat it when the bell went and people started coming in for lunch.

Lily was the first of my friends to arrive. She sighed as she stole a piece of cucumber from my salad.

"Gosh, I am so hungry right now. I swear I could eat a horse."

Mary snickered, coming up behind Lily and stealing a piece of my salad. "You always do. Stop taking from Evie's salad and go get your own lunch."

Lily snorted, "Will do."

She turned and walked backwards, pointing an accusing finger at Mary, "You're a hypocrite, you know?"

I jumped as Catherine came up behind me, "Forever and always, Mary shall be a hypocrite."

Mary just snickered as she got up to get her own lunch.

Catherine smiled as she sat down next to me. I opened my mouth to say something, but stopped when Mia dumped her bag at the table, then walked away again with red eyes.

I turned to Catherine, "What's up with Mia?"

Catherine smiled at me, "You know Mia, crying's a daily thing for her."

I chuckled, "True."

Catherine sighed, wiping a stray hair from her face. "No, actually there is a reason for it. In sport, a boy called her fat. And, um…" Catherine sniffed, "Angel started playing during music."

"Right." I smiled grimly, my relatively happy mood gone. Angel – by Robbie Williams – had been the song that had played at the joint funeral.

 _I'm not thinkin' 'bout you haters_

 _'_ _Cause hey, I could be a superstar_

 _I'll see you when you wash my car_

 _Loser Like Me - Glee_


	5. Chapter 5

**_Chapter Five_**

 _Feel it as the wind strokes my skin_

 _I am moved by the chill_

 _Hear the winter bird sing_

Mary had her phone in one hand, scrolling through Facebook as usual. Lily had turned to Mia and was chatting for the thousandth time about Percy Weasley. Only Catherine was acting different. She looked as though she was having a debate in her head. I grabbed her hand, and she jumped, turning to stare at me with dazed eyes.

"The voices back?"

She nodded, a frown on her face. Sometimes she heard voices in her head, trying to convince her to cause harm to herself. Times like these were when I thanked my mother for sending me to acting classes as a child.

I grinned ear to ear, gripped her hand tightly, and dragged her out of her chair. I weaved my way through the maze of tables, guiding a half-lucid Catherine. I stopped when we neared the table that Alice was sitting at with Edward, Bella, and a few other people.

Thankfully, the table was also close to the salad counter.

Gripping her shoulders tightly, I made sure to speak softly, "Go get yourself a reasonably portioned salad. I'll wait here with Alice –she's an acquaintance – and if there's any trouble, I'll come over."

Catherine nodded, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. I hated seeing her so fragile, but I was doing the best I could, it would just take time.

Alice glanced at me as I stood behind her, listening to their conversation, but she turned around again after a few seconds. I was half-listening, half keeping an eye on Catherine.

Most people at the table seemed nice, but a guy named Mike and a guy named Jessica weren't the type of people I would ever call friends.

Catherine had almost finished fathering her lunch when her demeanor changed. Her eyes were wild and her fingers were twitching, inching closer to where the cutlery was. Without a word, I walked over to her and gripped her hand in mine. She didn't say anything; she was almost visibly shaking. I linked arms with her and started to talk, leading her over to our bags so we could leave the crowded room.

"So Adrianna was thinking of painting our room. What color do you think?" I didn't let her answer. "We thought that Mia would like a vibrant pink, so we're definitely not going to ask for her opinion."

Lily and Mia almost grimaced when they saw the state of Catherine, but wordlessly handed us our bags. Mary stayed glued to her phone.

"Anyway, I was thinking that a dark blue would be good as a base coat. Then we could pant some trees and wild-grass. Of course, we also have to consider what animals to paint – cause seriously, what is a forest without animals. I was thinking that butterflies would be a bargaining chip with Mia, and you might like tigers. But, I definitely want at least one owl somewhere on the wall, because that would be totally cute."

We were sitting on the steps that looked out into the student parking lot. It was empty apart from a couple who were in an intense make-out session.

There was silence for a minute before Catherine spoke in a small voice, "Thank you, Evie."

I pretended to be confused, "What? For making sure our room isn't bright pink, or for chatting until your ears fell off?"

Catherine smiled, shoving me sideways on the step. "You know what I mean."

I smiled, genuinely this time. "That's what friends are for Cat."

"Yeah…" Her ears were red as she stared at her shoes.

"Oh, Cat, be an optimist!"

She looked disbelieving, so I grabbed her hand. "C'mon, Cat, make an oath. I shall forever and always be an optimist!"

Cat grinned sheepishly, replying in a small wavering voice. "I shall forever and always be an optimist."

I grinned, and then immediately groaned at the sound of the bell. "Well, I've got chemistry and then history, so unless you want to sit in the cold alone, I suggest you get up off your butt."

Catherine smiled and skipped up the steps with me.

Chemistry turned out to be a class that I actually needed to focus in. Ironically, it was also the class that I paid the least attention to, thanks to Edward Cullen.

I was peacefully sitting by myself when someone plonked their books next to mine. I hadn't been too worried, until I discovered that it was Edward Cullen. For about half of the lesson, I had managed to avoid his staring. I had taken good, useful notes, until I had finally snapped.

"What do you want, Cullen?" I hissed, under my breath.

One eye watching the teacher, one eye on the vampire beside me.

Instead of answering my question, he asked his own. "What was wrong with your friend at lunch?"

I scowled heavily, it certainly wasn't any of his business. "Does it matter?"

He smiled slightly, "Contrary to what you believe, I do actually care."

"Why?" My guards were up, there was no known reason for him to care.

"Your mother is coming over – with you – for dinner tomorrow night."

My eyebrows rose, mom was sure going to get a view of my opinion this afternoon. But right now I had to focus on Edward.

"Why?"

He shrugged, watching our teacher. "I don't know."

I hoped that was the end of the conversation.

"What's up with your friend?"

"You want to know if she's a threat." It wasn't a question.

"Yes."

I sighed, taking a few more notes. "She hears voices telling her what to do. It wasn't so bad before, but it got worse after her family died."

Edward nodded, but didn't say anything else.

"Cat's not a threat, if anything, she's a liability. You could kill her with your pinkie."

It was a depressing thought, but it was true. Catherine was only a danger to herself.

After that conversation, my notes had gotten sloppy, and I was glad when the bell ran, sending me to history, my final class. Unfortunately, like the majority of my subjects, we weren't covering anything new. Fortunately, none of the Cullens were in this class with me.

Sure, Alice was great, in fact, I could even consider her to be a friend. But Edward and Bella would've ended up annoying me with their interrogation-like questions.

So I sat in silence, patiently listening to the teacher explain what I already knew. Mentally, I corrected him a few times, but said nothing aloud, as it would've gotten me into trouble.

It was a relief when the final bell rang, and I met Mary at the car.

"How was your day?"

Mary shrugged, "Hell."

I smirked, "Forever and always, school is hell."

Mary groaned, dragging herself into the car. "That is so cheesy, Evie."

I grinned, "I know."

 _All I need is to remember_

 _How it was to feel alive_

 _I need to remember_

 _How it was to feel alive_

 _Winter Bird - Aurora_


End file.
